Marcia Rosal

What motivated you to apply for a Fulbright award?

I was asked by the Taipei Municipal University of Education to apply for a grant to assess and review the newly developed master's art therapy program at their institution prior to a visit from the national accreditation team. This project sounded exciting and challenging and I found that the Fulbright Scholar program might be a good fit for this project. Since I was a professor, I also wanted to do research while in Taiwan. I was very interested in uncovering the motivations of students to study art therapy and become therapists. In a collectivist culture, I was curious how becoming a therapist would be accepted by parents and other family members. This led me to apply for a teaching/research scholarship.

Describe the importance and reach of the research and/or teaching you did while on Fulbright?

Teaching students in a foreign language and cultural environment provided insight into their career choices. In addition, I was able to interview both art therapy students and art therapy professionals about their career choices. Perspectives on being a therapist or becoming a therapist were not surprising. Most went against their parental and familial wishes. Often much persuading was involved.

Tell us about significant personal Fulbright experiences you had

The most important experience was living in a very different culture...the tastes, sounds, smells, and languages felt so foreign. I also found that some people think very differently than those of us in the US. I was lucky to be in Taiwan on October 10th (10-10) to witness this national holiday and the pomp surrounding this date.

Advice for anyone considering the Fulbright award

The first step in considering an award is to think about what one would like to do with their award. The second step is to find a country, institution, or non-governmental agency to support your application. Language is also a consideration. When going to a country where there will be language barriers, it is important to think about how you will navigate that country.

Accomplishments

My most significant accomplishment is developing the FSU graduate art therapy program. Through finding and admitting top-notch students and hiring the best and brightest faculty, the program was able to evolve and thrive. The program is now considered one of the best in the US. Through hard work and dedication to the profession of art therapy, including President, I was bestowed with the highest honor from the American Art Therapy Association, the Honorary Life Member Award. I also received two awards from the FSU College of Art. The first was the research award and the second, the teaching award. Upon retirement, I received Professor Emerita status.